The Reasons Sunbathing Is a Really Bad Habit

You know by now that soaking up sun is bad, but it's not simply because you can develop wrinkles and cancer down the road.

Jul 11, 2005

Chris Fortuna

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Melanoma is now the most common (and deadliest) form of cancer in women ages 25 to 29, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. In addition, any significant sun damage you'll rack up in your lifetime will happen by your mid-20s.

Getting adequate protection has become trickier too. Many sunscreens only protect against UVB (or burning) rays because it was thought that those were the only beams that caused cancer. However, there's new evidence that UVA rays, which age the skin but don't burn you, are carcinogenic too, says dermatologist Nick Lowe, author of Away with Wrinkles.

Listen closely to this: "A sunscreen that doesn't protect against UVA rays can be worse than none at all, because it allows you to stay in the sun all day without burning, but you're still damaging your DNA," says Sheldon Pinnell, M.D., professor emeritus of dermatology at Duke University Medical Center. Your best defense is a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789); it will likely be labeled as full- or broad-spectrum or indicate UVA and UVB protection. It's also good to choose a block laced with antioxidants like vitamins C or E or green tea. They help your sunscreen do its job by fighting off free radicals generated by UV light.

PS: Don't think tanning beds are safer. They're even worse than the sun because they expose you to huge levels of UVA. "In my opinion, tanning beds are second only to smoking as a public-health concern," says Dr. Lowe.

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